- Claire Bates
- BBC World Service
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
The one in the middle is a book of flesh and blood…
“Transgender”, “Former gang member”, “Polygamy”, “Satanist”, “Sole adopter”. These are some of the titles of human library works, where volumes are made of people made of flesh and blood rather than paper and glue.
They are volunteers who have faced prejudice in their lives and readers can borrow them For a half-hour conversation, in which they are encouraged to ask those uncomfortable questions that have always piqued their interest.
The featured library contains “local book deposits” in about 80 countries around the world, where people, such as Jonathan the Peruvian, also known as Samantha Braxton, are “published”.
By the time a branch librarian in Lima invited her to join 5 years ago, Samantha was already a well-known figure since she was created to inspire people and make them feel good, the proposal fell on her as a link. on the finger
“When they publish for me I feel like I can experience how readers erase the image that was in their minds”as reported on the library’s website, where it is listed as “Book of the Month” for February 2022, titled “Transformist”.
He adds that there are many gays and lesbians out there who haven’t told their friends and family, so they’re looking for advice and ideas about their experience.
And that’s just one of the reasons for reading those open books.
“We don’t have time to stop and find out what we don’t know, so we put people in little boxes,” says founder Ronnie Abergel.
“In our library, we recommend sitting down and meeting people you don’t normally talk to because there is something about them. It might make you feel a little uncomfortable.
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
Samantha Braxton (center) as an open book from the Human Library.
“You learn a lot not only about them, but also about yourself.”
This is the purpose of the human library: to challenge the assumptions and stereotypes we all have about other people through face-to-face conversations.
books and music
The idea was first tested at a music festival in Denmark. Abergel, his brother and some friends gathered a group of volunteers to serve as open books that people could borrow at the event.
“From day one, it’s been great… run out: People were taking advantage of the opportunity. We had over 50 different volumes on the shelf.”
One moment in particular surprised him: A police officer who had volunteered to write a book told him that he was talking to some students when their drunk friend came over and started acting aggressively.
Before the officer could respond to the offence, the three readers stood up and asked their friend to shut up and sit down, because he didn’t know the officer as they did.
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
Ronnie Abergel, founder of the Human Library, with the slogan “I misjudge someone” on her T-shirt.
“A few minutes later they protected the stranger from a friend, so we were doing something valuable.“.
In the garden
Abergel ran the Human Library as a hobby for several years, developing and testing the model in Norway, Portugal, and Hungary.
In 2013, he branded the concept and took over his full-time job.
Then he and his team started building Book deposits in different countriesusing social and local networks to find volunteers willing to talk about their lives.
Last year, they created a reading park in Copenhagen, where librarians help readers find books and there are boards listing available titles.
These vary according to the volunteers present, and range from “Muslim” and “in early retirement” to “I gave my child up for adoption” and “alcoholic”.
Once chosen, the book and its readers sit together.
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
The park is open to readers twice a month.
“I’m a very curious person, so I ask a lot of questions,” Tina, one of the readers, told the BBC.
“I was two months ago, and I read three books. It was a great experience and the following week, I was so excited.
He suggested “I think everyone should try this experience because you can learn a lot”, while in aIn the garden corner I started reading “Schizophrenia”..
“My name is Christian. I am 29 years old. I am a teacher and a great geek, and I also have schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a disease in which a person experiences persistent psychosis for some reason that is not clearly defined.
“The classic thing is hearing voices, seeing things, etc. But I was basically dealing with so-called delusions like ‘the Illuminati are trying to wake me up and they are taking over the world from the shadows.'”
We asked Christian why she decided to be a book in a human library.
“I will always spend nights lying awake in bed, terrified. But if it helps only one person, then Stop being a scourge and become a tool that can be used for something useful.
“It takes the stigma off some of the issues that I think need to be stigmatized.”
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
Available books vary.
The Human Library holds regular public sessions all over the world, where anyone can visit.
However, it seems to attract people who are really curious and open-minded.
“Through public display, we’re likely to preach a little to the congregation,” Abergel admits. “We don’t expect haters or fearers to emerge on their own.”
“But we got to some of them throughIt’s from workHe adds, noting the fact that, to fund public sessions, they organize events for private companies, from multinational companies like Google to regional companies.
At the Dutch beer company Heineken, Katie from the Human Library opened the session by saying…
“When we are in the workplace or on social media, we often We have to be on our toes about diversity and difference. Many do not want to be wrong, and this is understandable.
“The important thing here is to remember that you can ask anything on these books. They won’t make you feel bad about the question you’re asking.”
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
“When Heineken, for example, does leadership development training, everyone is expected to attend whether they like it or not,” Abergel confirms.
Works?
The feedback you get from people who attend the public and private sessions is very positive, but is there evidence that the human library is working?
“We have a recent impact study, which is based on online sessions conducted last year for Zurich Insurance. An external consultancy conducted an evaluation.
“And theIt’s a small sample, but very promising. It has shown to have a profound effect,” Abergel says.
“But do I have long-term field studies? No, I hope! I didn’t have the resources to invest in this kind of monitoring, but one day we will.”
“What I have is 21 years of track record, which is growing bigger and bigger every year and getting partners from the outside world supposedly not investing in something bad. So when Starbucks or Google interact with us, it’s because they know what kind of value we contribute.”
image source, Menneskebibliotekets
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is one of the mantras of the human library.
And books, are they paid or are they always volunteers?
“The credibility of the book is at stake. If you pay for your books, is that why they say what they say? We give them all the resources we can without professionalizing them.
“Being an open book shouldn’t become your whole identity. That’s not healthy for anyone,” the library founder stated.
for the mind
The Human Library builds repositories of books in countries with which they have strong corporate relationships, such as Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. They plan to put their surplus resources in countries that They think they can grow.
“We are publishing many interesting projects that will multiply and expand. More access to people and more institutions integrating organizations, universities, local and public authorities.”
There are also plans to release them Application Where people can register as a reader and order a book from an online catalog.
“You could be at home and borrow from someone in New Zealand or South Korea.”
Despite all its innovations, Abergel It’s realistic and you know whatThat the book is unlikely to change a person with extreme viewsbut it may help most people keep their minds open.
“If all these polarizing forces are pulling me together, who will keep me sane, balanced, and non-extremist?
“The best thing is to be open and honest and talk about our differences, get them out there, and find ways to move forward. Otherwise we will live with each other’s disdain, each other’s disgust, and each other’s avoidance. What does that add to the quality of life?” .
image source, Getty Images
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